Middle East news from independent sources including Al Jazeera and Middle East Eye.
Amnesty praises expected release of Global Sumud Flotilla activists Amnesty International official Erika Guevara Rosas has welcomed reports that Israel intends to release two activists seized from the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla. The activists, Saif Abu Keshek and Thiago Avila, were detained...
Russian president warns world will suffer if Iran war continues Russian President Vladimir Putin said he hopes the conflict involving Iran will end “as soon as possible”, warning that the consequences of a prolonged war would be severe for the wider world. Putin said that if the fighting continues,...
Qatar Saudi ministers discuss Iran ceasefire and regional stability Qatari Prime Minister and foreign minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani held a phone call with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud to discuss regional tensions and efforts to maintain stability,...
Iranian commander warns missiles locked onto American military targets A commander in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said missiles and drones operated by the force are locked onto American targets and military vessels in the region and are awaiting orders to strike. General Sardar Mousavi...
Hezbollah reports attacks on Israeli troops across southern Lebanon Hezbollah said its fighters carried out 22 strikes against Israeli forces in southern Lebanon and northern Israel on Saturday. The group said attacks targeted Israeli troop gatherings and vehicles in Biyyada, Rachaf, Deir Siryan and...
Report says Israel operated secret Iraq base during Iran war The Wall Street Journal reported that Israel established a covert military outpost in the Iraqi desert to support its air campaign against Iran, citing people familiar with the matter, including US officials. According to the report, the...
Turkish minister meets Hamas delegation for Gaza peace discussions Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan met a delegation from Hamas headed by Muhammad Darwish to discuss efforts aimed at securing lasting peace in Gaza and improving humanitarian aid access to the territory, Anadolu Agency reported....
Israeli strike kills one in Bedias as Lebanon death toll rises to 24 An Israeli air strike on the southern Lebanese town of Bedias has killed one person and wounded 13 others, according to an Al Jazeera correspondent. The latest attack comes despite the ceasefire, with Israeli strikes killing at...
Ben Gvir branded 'hangman of the century' over push for Palestinian executions A human rights group, the Red Ribbons Campaign, has “condemned in the strongest terms” efforts by far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir to advance death penalty legislation targeting Palestinians....
Iran threatens to target 'American centres' if tankers are attacked Iran has warned it could target “American centres” across the region if its oil tankers come under attack, according to Iranian media reports cited by Agence France-Presse.
Iran says ties with China will deepen after war, praises support Iran says it expects relations with China to expand significantly after the current conflict, including a US-led naval blockade. Iran’s ambassador to China, Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli, described Beijing as a key ally and signalled closer...
Ben Gvir branded 'hangman of the century' over push for Palestinian executions MEE staff on Sat, 05/09/2026 - 21:29 The right-wing minister faces mounting international condemnation over plans to execute Palestinian prisoners Palestinians take part in a protest a day before Palestinian Prisoners'...
Iran to play World Cup but demands guarantees from Fifa and hosts Iran says it will take part in this summer’s football World Cup but is seeking a series of guarantees from FIFA and the host nations amid rising tensions over its participation. The Iranian Football Federation said the team would...
'Integrity costs something': Eurovision winners want Israel out of the contest The organisers of the Eurovision song contest have always maintained that they want to keep politics out of the event. In practice, however, politics has always played a major role, with rows over international affairs,...
UN says Israel displaced nearly 40,000 Palestinians in West Bank Israel has driven nearly 40,000 Palestinians from their homes across the occupied West Bank since the start of last year, according to the United Nations. Farhan Haq, deputy spokesperson for the UN chief, cited data from the Office for...
Israeli strikes kill four in Lebanon, raising Lebanon death toll to 23 Israeli forces have killed at least four people in a fresh wave of attacks in southern Lebanon, pushing today’s death toll to at least 23. Lebanon's National News Agency reported that an Israeli drone fired a guided missile at a...
Oil chiefs warn Hormuz closure exposes fragility of global energy system Senior figures in the oil and gas industry say the war involving Iran is set to reshape the global energy system, warning that recent disruptions have exposed deep structural weaknesses. Speaking to CNBC, industry leaders said...
Latmiya: Inside the Ashura rituals shaping Iran’s wartime narrative In darkened halls across Iran, hundreds of men dressed in black beat their chests in unison as religious eulogists chant rhythmic laments of martyrdom, sacrifice and war. The performances, often lit in red and shared widely on...
Jewish settler attack wounds two Palestinian women in occupied West Bank Israeli settlers have wounded two Palestinian women in an attack on communities south of Nablus, Wafa reported. Witnesses said a group of settlers threw stones at homes in the Wadi al-Hajj Issa area between Jurish village and...
Global oil stocks drop almost 270 million barrels since start of Iran war Global oil inventories are falling sharply as the Israeli-US war on Iran constrains crude flows from the Gulf following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, according to a Bloomberg report. The data shows stockpiles declined...